Hand tool for box buckles



1953 R. A. BEGHETTO, JR HAND TOOL FOR BOX BUCKLES Filed March 20, 1962 IN V EN TOR.

BY via/2044 nited tat ice 3,073,029 HAND TOOL FOR BOX BUCKLES Raymond A. Beghetto, Jr., 1008 W. 22nd St., Cheyenne, Wyo. Filed Mar. 20, 1962, Ser. No. 181,100 Claims. ((11. 30-361} This invention relates to multiple-blade cutting tools, and more particularly to a cutting tool for use in forming aligned pairs of parallel slits in the opposing marginal portions or the hinged cover elements of a corrugated paper or cardboard carton.

The main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved slit-forming implement for use in forming the aligned pairs of parallel slits adapted to receive the bendable securing prongs of cooperating buckle elements to be employed on the hinged cover members of a carton, the implement being relatively simple in construction, being easy to use, and providing aligned pairs of slits which are spaced at accurately predetermined distances from the free edges of the hinged cover members of a carton on which cooperating fastening buckle elements are to be mounted.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved slit-forming tool for use in forming accurately aligned parallel pairs of slits on the free marginal portions of the cover members of a corrugated paper carton, the tool being inexpensive to fabricate, being durable in construction, being safe to use, and involving relatively few moving parts.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational View of an improved cutting implement according to the present invention, shown operatively engaged with the hinged cover members of a corrugated paper carton.

FIGURE 2 is a top view of the implement and portions of the carton adjacent thereto, as shown in FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an end elevational view of the implement of FIGURES 1 and 2.

FIGURE 4 is a horizontal cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 44 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a horizontal cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 55 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 6 is a side elevational view, partly in vertical cross section, of the implement of FIGURES 1 to 5, shown in inoperative position.

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary top plan view of adjacent marginal portions of the cover members of a carton formed with aligned parallel slits by the use of the implement illustrated in FIGURES 1 to 6.

FIGURE 8 is a longitudinal vertical cross sectional view taken through one end portion of a modified form of slit-forming implement according to the present invention, shown operatively engaged with the margin of a carton cover member.

FIGURE 9 is an end elevational view of the implement illustrated in FIGURE 8.

FIGURE 10 is a fragmentary horizontal cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 1010 of FIGURE 8.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to FIGURES 1 to 7, 11 generally designates an improved slit-forming implement for forming aligned slits in the marginal portions of the hinged cover members 12 and 13 of a corrugated paper carton 14, for preparing said cover member to receive the bendable prongs of the cooperating elements of a buckle assembly to be employed for securing the cover members 12 and 13 in horizontal closed positions.

The tool 11 comprises an elongated resilient main body 15 of spring steel, or similar resilient metal, the respective ends of the resilient body 15 being provided with the transversely extending gripping plates or wings 16, 16.

Secured to the underside of the respective end portions of the elongated resilient main body 15 are the top arms of respective U-shaped spring metal members 17 and 17, said top arms being shown at 18 and 18'. The top arms 18' and 18 are longitudinally aligned with the main body 15, and the U-shaped members 17 and 17' are secured in outwardly facing positions, namely, with the bight portions 19 and 19 thereof spaced inwardly from the grip ping plates 16, 16. The bottom arms of the members 17 and 17 are designated respectively at 22 and 22'.

integrally formed with the end portions of the side edges of the arms 18 and 18' are the respective pairs of depending cutting blade elements 20, 20 and 20, 2b. The blade elements are formed with the upwardly and inwardly inclined bottom cutting edges 21 and 21', and the outer corner portions of the bottom arms 22, and 22 are formed with respective upturned corner lugs 23, 23 and 23, 23, the corner lugs being spaced laterally outwardly from the pairs of depending cutting blades, as is clearly illustrated in FIGURE 3, The corner lugs are adapted to provide bearing supports for the respective cover segments 12 and 13 to support said segments while the respective pairs of cutting blades 20, 20 and 21 and 21 are forced through the cover segments to form the parallel slits therein, shown respectively at 24, 24 and 24, 24' in FIGURE 7.

As previously mentioned, the U-shaped members 17 and 17' are of resilient metal, so that the top and bottom arms thereof may be flexed towards each other. Thus, in using the device, the respective U-shaped members 17 and 17 are engaged respectively on the transverse marginal portions of the cover segments 12 and 13 of the carton 14 in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 1, and the top and bottom arms 18, 22 and 18, 22 of the respective members 17 and 17 are successively flexed towards each other by squeezing same manually, with the edges of the cover segments 12 and 13 engaged with the lower corner portions defined between the bight members i7, 17 and the bottom arms 22, 22' of the members 17, 17', as shown in FIGURE 1. As illustrated at the left side of FIGURE 1, prior to the perforation of the cover segments, the transverse free edges of the cover members of the carton are engaged with the lower corners defined between the bight elements and the bottom arms of the U-shaped members. After the blade members 2t} and 20' have been forced through the cover segments, as shown at the right side of FIGURE 1, the transverse edges of the cover segments are engaged against the top corner portions defined between the bight elements of members 17 and 17' and their top arms. This condition is achieved by rotating the cover segments up wardly somewhat during the slitting operation, so that the blade members 20, 20 and 20', 20 are fully inserted through the slits formed in the cover members. To facilitate the full cutting action of the blade members, the front and rear edges thereof are beveled, as shown at 25 and 26 in FIGURE 1, whereby to define auxiliary cutting edges.

As will be readily apparent, the parallel pairs of slits formed in the opposite marginal portions of the hinged cover members 12 and 13 will be in accurate alignment with each other, because they are longitudinally aligned with the main body 15 of the cutting tool and are squared by the engagement of the depending bight elements 19, 19' with the transverse edges of the hinged cover members 12 and 13.

As will be apparent from FIGURE 1, the upstanding support lugs 23, 23 and 23', 23' have rounded top edges to facilitate the rotation or pivoting of the cover members 12 and 13 thereon during the slitting operation, above described. After the slits have been formed, the gripping pressure on the end portions of the device is released, allowing the arms of the U-shaped members 17 and 17' to unflex, and providing sufficient clearance between the cutting blades thereof and the bottom arms thereof to allow the end portions of the implement to be disengaged from the margins of the hinged cover members 12 and 13, so that said cover members are ready to receive the bendable prongs of the cooperating members ofa locking buckle assembly.

r The intermediate portion of the transverse margin of the bottom arm 22 of U-shaped member 17 has secured thereto a reversely bent spring clip 26 which is adapted to lockingly receive the intermediate portion of the transverse margin of the bottom arm 22, in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 6, whereby to retain the arms 22 and 22 substantially in abutment, thus locking the implement in an inoperative position with the respective pairs of cutting blades 20, 20 and 20', 20' substantially housed by the U-shaped members 17 and 17'. Thus, the device may be. arranged in the manner shown in FIGURE 6 for transportation or storage, and while thus arranged, the cutting edges thereof. are substantially completely housed, so that the device may be handled without risk of injury to the person handling same.

Referring now to the form of the invention illustrated in FIGURES 8, 9 and 10, in this form of the invention the device comprises aresilient elongated main body 15' toeach end of which is secured a slitting assembly, designated generally at 30. Each cutting assembly 3t) comprises a top arm 31 which is secured to the end portion of the member 15' subjacent the upper gripping plate or flange 16 thereof, the top arm 31 being formed with the depending spaced pair of, cutting blade elements 32, 32, similar to the cutting blade elements 20, 2t and 2b, 20 previously described. The top arm 31 is substantially channel-shaped in transverse cross section, and the side arms thereof are formed with rectangular notches 33 which are transversely aligned. Rigidly secured to the inner vertical transversely aligned edges of said notches 33 is a transversely extending vertical stop plate 34, each of the assemblies 30 being provided with the aforesaid stop, plate, 34.

Hinged to the inner end of the top arm 31 of each assembly 3'0js a bottom arm 36 which is formed at its outer ends with a pair of upstanding support lugs 37, 37, the the upper portions of said support lugs being inclined upwardly and inwardly, as shown in FIGURE 9 at 38. The support lugs are so arranged that their top portions 38 are spaced laterally outwardly of the planes of the depending blade elements 32, but are located relatively close to said planes so as to define supports cooperating with the blades to. provide shearing action.

Coiled springs 39 are mounted on the hinge pins 40 which hingedly connect the arms 31 and 36, the ends of the coiled springs bearing on the respective arms to provide a spring biasing action urging the arms apart.

Secured to the intermediate portion of the transverse depending stop element 34 is a leaf spring 42, said leaf spring being sinuously curved, as shown in FIGURE 8, and having the upwardly and outwardly inclined end portion 43 resiliently urged toward the arm 36 and being yieldable to allow the marginal portion of a carton cover member 12 or 13 to be inserted between the leaf spring 42 and the subjacent support members 37, 37, as illustrated in FIGURE 8.

Secured to the end portion of each bottom arm 36 is a transversely extending gripping plate 44 which is similar to the upper gripping plate 16' and which is symmetrically located with said upper plate 16' relative to the hinge axis 40. I

In using the device ofFIGURES 8, 9 and the margi nalportionsof thecover segments. 12. and 13 are engaged between the respective pairs of arms 31 and 36 with the transverse edges of the cover elements 12 and 13 engaging the stop plates 34, as shown in FIGURE 8, the marginal portions of the cover segments being received beneath the leaf springs 42. Squeezing pressure is then exerted on the gripping plates 16 and 44 of each assembly 30, causing ing the cutting blades 32 to pierce the cover elements 12 and 13 to form the'pairs of slits 24, 24 and 24, 24 therein. With the squeezing pressure released, the arms 31 and 36 separate by the biasing action of the springs 39, whereby the cutting blades 32 are disengaged from the slitted cover segments 12 and 13, allowing the tool to be freely removed and leaving the cover segments 12 and 13 in positions to receive the bendable prongs of the cooperating components of a locking buckle assembly.

While certain specific embodiments of an improved tool for forming aligned slits in the hinged cover members of a carton have been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A tool for forming aligned slits in the hinged cover members of a carton comprising a resilient elongated main body, respective depending blade elements on the opposite end portions of said main body, and respective transverse stop elements on the end portions of said main body spaced inwardly from said blade elements and being adapted to engage the edges of the cover members of a carton.

2. A tool for forming aligned slits in the hinged cover members of a carton comprising a resilient elongated main body, respective depending longitudinally extending blade elements on the opposite end portions of said main body, respective transverse stop elements on the end portions of said main body spaced inwardly from said blade elements and being adapted to engage the edges of the cover members of a carton to hold said blade elements at predetermined distances from said edges, and longitudinally outwardly extending bottom support means yieldably connected to said stop elements and adapted to underlie the marginal portions of the cover members adjacent said edges.

3. A tool for forming aligned slits in the hinged-cover members of a carton comprising a resilient elongated main body, respective depending longitudinally extending blade elements on the opposite end portions of said main body, respective transverse stop elements on the end portions of said main body spaced inwardly from said blade elements and being adapted to engage the edges of the cover members of a carton to hold said blade elements at predetermined distances from said edges, longitudinally outwardly extending bottom support means yieldably connected to said stop elements and adapted to underlie the marginal portions of the cover members adjacent said edges, and a plurality of upstanding spaced abutment elements on each of said bottom support means.

4. A tool for forming aligned slits in the hinged cover members of a carton comprising a resilient elongated main body, respective depending longitudinally extending blade elements on the opposite end portions of. said main body, respective transverse stop elements on the end portions of said main body spaced inwardly from said blade elements and being adapted to engage the edges of the cover members of a carton to hold said blade elements at predetermined distances from said edges, longitudinally outwardly extending bottom support means yieldably connected to said stop elements and adapted to underlie the marginal portions of the cover members adjacent said edges, and a plurality of upstanding spaced abutment elements on each of said bottom support means, said abutment elements being spaced laterally outwardly from said blade elements.

5. A tool for forming aligned slits in the hinged cover members of a carton comprising a resilient elongated main body, respective depending longitudinally extending blade elements on the opposite end portions of said main body, respective transverse stop elements on the end portions of said main body spaced inwardly from said blade elements and being adapted to engage the edges of the cover members of a carton to hold said blade elements at predetermined distances from said edges, longitudinally outwardly extending bottom support plates yieldably connected to said stop elements, said plates being generally rectangular in shape and being adapted to underlie the marginal portions of the cover members adjacent said edges, and upstanding lugs on the outer corner portions of said plates, said lugs being spaced laterally outwardly from said blade elements.

No references cited. 

1. A TOOL FOR FORMING ALIGNED SLITS IN THE HINGED COVER MEMBERS OF A CARTON COMPRISING A RESILIENT ELONGATED MAIN BODY, RESPECTIVE DEPENDING BLADE ELEMENTS ON THE OPPOSITE END PORTIONS OF SAID MAIN BODY, AND RESPECTIVE TRANSVERSE STOP ELEMENTS ON THE END PORTIONS OF SAID MAIN BODY SPACED INWARDLY FROM SAID BLADE ELEMENTS AND BEING ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE EDGES OF THE COVER MEMBERS OF A CARTON. 